Opportunities to Build God's Kingdom in Southeast Asia
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Opportunities to Build God’s Kingdom in Southeast Asia FINISHING THE TASK of Matthew 24:14 in SOUTHEAST ASIA Dear Brothers and Sisters, It is no accident that the Lord has connected you with Christian Aid Mission. I believe He wants to use you, in a strategic way, to advance His Kingdom on the earth. We are living in the most fruitful time in the history of missions—where every seed sown produces a massive harvest. We are seeing the gospel advance, unstoppable, through the nations. In 1976, there were an estimated 17,000 unreached people groups. Today, there are just 6,600 people groups without a witness for Christ The vast majority of these people groups have been reached by native missionaries, sharing the gospel in their own nations. Since 1953, Christian Aid Mission has supported native missionaries in countries of great poverty, where Christians are a persecuted minority, and where foreign missionaries are not allowed. We support native missionaries with the goal of establishing a witness for Christ in every nation, in accordance with Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” From our headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia, we assist more than 500 independent, indigenous ministries overseas that have tens of thousands of native missionaries on the field. These ministries are engaging 1,000 unreached people groups in more than 100 countries throughout the world. We want to connect you with ways you can impact the world for Christ through native missionaries around the globe. I encourage you to look through this catalog of indigenous ministries that we assist in Southeast Asia, and prayerfully consider partnering with Christian Aid Mission to reach the world’s last remaining unreached people groups. Until there is a Witness for Christ in Every Nation, Cynthia Finley President 1 Table of Contents Vietnam . .3 Project 1 . 4–7 Project 2 . 8–9 Indonesia . 11 Project 3 . 12–14 Project 4 . 15–16 Project 5 . 17–20 Philippines . 21 Project 6 . 22–24 Myanmar . 25 Project 7 . 26–28 Support a Native Missionary . 29 VIETNAM The Socialist Republic of Vietnam borders the South China Sea, Cambodia, Laos, and China. Mountains and tropical forests cover nearly all but 20 percent of the country’s landmass. The Vietnamese majority, who mainly live in the country’s major cities, comprise approximately 85 percent of the population. The rest of the population is made up of 54 ethnic minorities who live in the Central Highlands in the northern part of the country. Christianity has taken root and continues to grow among these ethnic minorities, who face increasing persecution from government authorities. Though Vietnam ostensibly allows its citizens to freely worship in major cities, the government retains tight control over all registered churches. According to The World Factbook, more than 80% of Vietnam’s population identifies as having no religion. The Vietnamese majority remains a stronghold of communist ideology and atheism. Meanwhile, multitudes of ethnic minorities are hearing and accepting the gospel of Christ in the Central Highlands. The Communist Party, which maintains authority over all state policy and activity, has ordered government officials to closely monitor and crack down on the unregistered house churches that continually form and grow in the Highlands region. According to a Human Rights Watch report, “Highland people accused of religious ‘evil ways’ and politically ‘autonomous thoughts’ have been subjected to intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and mistreatment in custody.” Along with 66 pastors behind bars, another 42 remain in prison, even though they completed their 15-year sentences. Their family members are legally allowed to visit them once a month, but most can only afford to visit once per year. Prisoners are kept far from their homes in harsh, primitive conditions. Officials have ordered unregistered churches to pay steep fines, and are working to consolidate them into officially registered, government-monitored churches. A cluster of house churches with a combined membership of 3,000, for example, was ordered to merge congregations and meet in a facility holding no more than 500. In Gia Lai Province, on the Cambodian border, authorities forced 12,000 Christians in 20 unregistered churches to combine at a single facility accommodating 1,600 people. Registered churches are prohibited from meeting in smaller groups: no Sunday school classes for children or adults, no youth groups or other gatherings apart from the congregational worship as a whole. Children can only be taught about Christianity at home. Taking Communion and collecting offerings are forbidden, police monitor sermons to ensure nothing is said against communism, and plural leadership is prohibited; only one leader is allowed for each congregation. Project 1 TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH IN VIETNAM Ministry: Vietnamese Evangelical Churches Vietnamese Evangelical Churches (VEC) finds gospel workers, especially those working among unreached tribes, to provide them with support and training. The ministry has contact with more than 120 workers sharing the gospel among various tribal groups. Believers in these people groups now number more than 200,000. Some workers are translating the Bible and hymn books into tribal dialects. The ministry leader, who oversees the work of 40 church-planting pastors and 12 training centers with 50 teachers at each center, spent seven years and two months in prison between 1975 and 1985 for his evangelistic work. The ministry has reached out to 10 of the 22 tribes with no strong Christian presence in the Central Highlands. VEC brings up to 10 new Christians at a time from various villages to its urban base for training several times per year, and then sends them back to their communities to spread the gospel. In its efforts to proclaim Christ to unreached tribes, the ministry also arranges for converts from one tribe to reach out to a nearby tribe. 4 Need: Training Program for the Underground Church Native missionaries with VEC have led thousands of traditional Christian education, and it allows local people from the Central Highlands to the Lord. As the ministry leaders to remain at home and continue their number of new believers continues to increase, so does outreaches while receiving critical teaching and training. the need for discipleship and leadership training. TEE is a two-level program. Completion of Level 1 Through the work of VEC, more than 3,000 house requires students to work through six textbooks, which churches exist throughout the Central Highlands. These focus on the life of Christ, during a two-year period. house churches are in desperate need of trained pastors to lead them. Every week the students meet together at one of the 12 TEE centers throughout Vietnam to discuss the material. The ministry seeks to provide affordable, accessible Students are required to complete each book in a three- training for native pastors and church planters month period, and take an exam on that book at one of throughout Vietnam. the centers. To train these ministry leaders, VEC has been using the After completing all six books, students receive a Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program, certificate from Alliance Evangelical Divinity School, which allows students in rural areas to receive training which equips them for more effective ministry work. that does not require them to move from their villages. Through support from Christian Aid Mission, VEC printed Nearly 8,000 people are currently studying through 6,000 sets of Level 1 textbooks for ethnic minority one of 12 TEE centers in Vietnam. Each center is staffed students. with 50 teachers. In addition to Vietnamese, the TEE curriculum has also been translated into the Hmong and However, these students are now in need of Level 2 Yao tribal languages. textbooks to advance in their studies and have the option to enroll in a Bible school or seminary to become TEE has been a key strategy for developing Christian church leaders and planters. leaders in many countries. It is far less expensive than 5 Project Description: Advanced Level Textbooks Many students make the decision to advance to Level 2 in the TEE program, which consists of three additional textbooks focusing on more specific topics in church life and history. Completion of Level 2 earns students a diploma from the Alliance Evangelical Divinity School. Students who complete both levels of the TEE program can enroll in a Bible school or seminary. In Vietnam, the TEE program is a prerequisite for acceptance into a Bible school. VEC requests funding to supplement the cost of 3,000 sets of Level 2 textbooks for students who have completed Level 1. Students will provide a portion of the printing costs. Project Implementation Project implementation is simple and straightforward. VEC will have 3,000 sets of Level 2 textbooks printed at a supplemented cost of $1.50 per book ($4.50 per set). These will be immediately distributed to students through the 12 TEE training centers. 6 People Groups Affected Church leaders from the following ethnic groups will receive Level 2 textbooks to advance their knowledge and understanding of the Bible: 1. Southern Vietnam: • Ra-De • Je-Rai • M’Nong • Ko-Ho • Khmer • Ka-Tu • Bru • Stieng • Bahnar • Chrau 2. Northern Vietnam, including Central Highlands: • Hmong • Yao • San Chi • Pa-Then 3. Vietnamese majority in major cities and towns Since 1996, VEC has trained more than 6,000 people through the TEE program. Of these 6,000, more than 1,000 are ordained pastors who have planted churches among the Hmong, Yao, San Chi, and Pa-Then tribal groups. VEC is training Hmong and Yao workers and sending them in pairs to the following four people groups: • Kho-Mu (VEC workers have led 47 to Christ) • Tho (VEC workers have led nine to Christ) • Nung (VEC workers have led 65 to Christ) • Lo-Lo (VEC workers have led three to Christ) Expected Impact By equipping Level 1 students to complete Level 2 training and become more effective ministers of the gospel, VEC estimates that 12 unreached people groups will be reached in the next 10 years.